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European Space Agency Partners to Develop Low Earth Orbit Capabilities

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, and Blue Origin to foster and facilitate commercial and industrial advancements in the area of space exploration in low Earth orbit.

Regulators clear Starlink-enabled texting trial in war-torn Ukraine

Local regulators have approved Ukrainian telco Kyivstar’s plans to start testing space-enabled texting services this summer using SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, targeting areas crippled by Russian strikes and other terrestrial coverage gaps.

GKN Aerospace leads £12M ASPIRE programme to develop and demonstrate next-generation composite wing and flap structures

ASPIRE (Advanced Structural Product Integrated Airframe), will deliver and test three composite wingtip variants and a novel composite flap integrating automation, sustainability and manufacturability Consortium includes GKN Aerospace, Carbon ThreeSixty, iCOMAT, Lineat, Pentaxia and the University of Bath, with programme support by Axillium and co-funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)

Trump shifts Greenland to U.S. Northern Command

President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to move Greenland into the U.S. Northern Command area of responsibility in a shakeup that comes as the president looks to acquire the Danish territory and the U.S. seeks greater control over Arctic regions.

Proba-3 reveals breakthrough images of the solar corona from space

Proba-3, the European Space Agency's dual-satellite mission, has achieved a historic milestone by capturing its first images of the Sun's outer atmosphere during an artificial solar eclipse in orbit. Using advanced formation flying, the mission's two spacecraft aligned with millimeter-level precision to simulate a total eclipse, enabling high-resolution observations of the elusive solar corona.

DIANA's Challenges for 2026: Resilient Space Operations

NATO DIANA seeks novel terrestrial and orbital sensors, connected to modern secure communications systems, data storage and processing centres, and advanced analytics, to inform risk analysis and strategic and tactical planning for civil and military spac

Honda conducts surprise reusable rocket test, aims spaceflight by 2029

Honda opens new tab succeeded in a launch and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket on Tuesday, the Japanese company said in a surprise announcement, marking a milestone towards its 2029 goal of achieving a suborbital spaceflight. Honda R&D, the research arm of Japan's second-biggest carmaker, successfully landed its 6.3-metre (20.6-foot) experimental reusable launch vehicle after reaching an altitude of 271 metres (889 feet) at its test facility in northern Japan's space town Taiki, opens new tab, according to the company.

2026 DIANA Challenge: Advanced Communication Technologies

DIANA's Challenges for 2026 have launched, calling all innovators who are on a mission to develop ground-breaking dual-use technology within this year’s 10 challenge areas. For this challenge, the Alliance seeks dual-use solutions enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of next generation communications technologies for the robust and rapid exchange of data across decentralised computing, sensing and communications networks.

Israel-Iran Conflict: The Space Angle

Israel’s successful exoatmospheric interception of an Iranian ballistic missile on 13 June 2025 using the Arrow 3 system marked a watershed moment in operational space-based missile defense. The Arrow 3 demonstrated its ability to destroy high-altitude threats in space using a kinetic “hit-to-kill” strike—offering strategic reassurance amid a massive Iranian barrage involving over 150 missiles and 100 drones.

India a Leader in Space Ventures with Shukla to ISS and NISAR to LEO

Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian in space in over 40 years, leading science operations on the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS before contributing to India’s $2.4 billion Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, targeting a 2027 crewed launch. In parallel, NASA and ISRO are collaborating on NISAR, the most advanced and expensive Earth-imaging satellite, launching from India in 2024. NISAR will deliver unprecedented dual-frequency radar data on environmental conditions such as soil moisture and forest cover. ISRO aims to make this data openly available and is inviting collaboration from non-governmental entities to develop operational science applications.

Paris Airshow Opens Under Cloud of India Crash, Mideast Conflict

The Paris Airshow opens on Monday with its usual fanfare of aircraft orders expected to be tempered by concerns over India’s deadliest air disaster and escalating missile strikes between Israel and Iran that have rattled the global aviation industry. Every two years, Le Bourget Airport in the northeast of Paris is transformed into a showcase for the aerospace and defence industry, its sprawling tarmac lined with fighter jets, commercial airliners and autonomous drones.

ESA moving ahead with ‘resilience from space’ satellite imaging program

The European Space Agency is moving ahead with plans for the first phase of an Earth observation satellite system that will have both civil and military uses. Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s director general, said at a June 12 press briefing after a meeting of the ESA Council that the council approved an “enabling resolution” for the European Resilience from Space (ERS) program.